RockmanEXE: Fragmented Code
by SheerPower
Summary: Post-BN6. 1000 years have passed since the incident in Electopia occurred. Most people believe it never happened. However, unsolved mysteries are beginning to resurface. In the center of it all is Jiro Ichinose. A troubled 15-year-old boy whose life is turned upside down after he meets a legendary hero long thought to be non-existent. Co-author: Rasshu-wan
1. Prologue

**Authors' note: Characters are referred to by their Japanese names.**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own any of the official characters. They belong to Capcom. OCs used belong to me and Rasshu-wan. We're just fans of the MMBN series.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

… _It's so quiet. Not to mention, empty and dark…_ This single thought runs through the mind of an individual who is desperate to understand their current situation. They wander aimlessly through the endless darkness which surrounds them at every turn. However, they fail to realize they are not physically walking at all. Their thoughts are on a conscious level, but in reality, they are in a deep sleep.

 _How come there's not a single thing around me?_

 _Where did everybody go…?_

 _Why has everything disappeared?_

 _No matter how far I walk, nothing changes._

 _There's just darkness and silence everywhere._

 _This doesn't make any sense at all! The sun is supposed to be out, and there should be cars and…a-a-and buildings…!_

 _I can't tell where I'm even going. Have I just been walking in circles this whole time?_

 _This is so frustrating! But, I know getting angry won't help solve anything. I just need to calm down and get my emotions back under control… So here goes nothing!_

…

…

…

 _Ah, I feel so much better now that my head is a bit clearer._

 _Now then, let's review this situation carefully…_

 _There's absolutely nothing around and it's totally silent._

 _Ahh…it's still no good. I'm at a complete lost here._

 _...!_

 _Wait, if there's no one around, then something had to cause everything else to disappear…_

 _But, if that's really the case, could that possibly mean what I think it does?_

… _Yes, that must be it!_

 _There's just no other explanation!_

 _I did it! To think I actually did it!_

 _After struggling through so much, I almost can't believe it's finally over!_

 _My friends…_

 _My family…_

 _I spent an entire lifetime fighting to protect them._

 _To laugh and cry beside them._

 _To keep the smiles on their faces._

 _To protect all that I considered important to me is all I ever wanted._

 _And now, I've finally succeeded in doing just that!_

 _Never again will my loved ones have to suffer… I made sure to free them from that cycle._

 _Pain. Sadness. Hurt. Anger. Grief…_

 _Those things don't matter anymore._

 _Nothing can hurt them now. Never again will their happiness or smiles be taken away from them…_

 _Just knowing that they'll never be harmed again makes me feel so much joy…!_

 _When I manage to find them, I'll be sure to give them the biggest hugs ever._

 _I just know they're around here somewhere, and I'll keep looking until I find them!_

 _I love you, guys. All of you._


	2. The Past Millennia

Chaos. Complete and utter chaos. That was the only way to describe the out of control situation that unfolded before Netto Hikari. The familiar streets of Densan City were in complete disarray as people tried to flee the destruction that was taking place all around them. Countless people, both young and old scrambled to get out of way of the intense fighting taking place. However, the thirty-seven year old scientist was doing the exact opposite. Netto was struggling to make his way through the sea of people, but it was like trying to fight against the rapid current of a river.

 _Why…Just why is this happening?!_ He shouted internally. His was mind racing in confusion as he tried to make sense of what was going on. But, the screams coming from the people around him made it hard to concentrate. The loud explosions which could be heard above the shrieking did not help. Every time the ground shook from a tremor, the screams went up in volume as people cried out in terror…

"Netto, what's your status?" The urgency in Enzan Ijuuin's voice caught his attention as the earpiece in his left ear came to life. The device was white and had Rockman's Navi Crest displayed on it as decoration. However, the Navi Crest design was also a button, as demonstrated when Netto pressed down on it. Automatically, the device's sound cancellation mode was activated; within seconds, all of the noise around him was filtered out. Right now, the last thing Netto wanted to do was raise his voice just to make sure Enzan could hear him.

"It's a serious mess over here, Enzan! This crowd is slowing me down by a lot, so it's taking longer than I expected to get to the lab!" He replied as he continued to try to navigate his way through the literal sea of people. It was a time consuming effort, and his patience was growing thinner by the second. But, what other choice did he have? Trying to drive while the roads were either unusable or overcrowded would not have saved him very much time. Taking a ride on a helicopter was also a bad idea, as there was a risk of the flying vehicle getting shot down. It was not a chance he was willing to take, so he made the decision to head to SciLab on foot. "How are things on your end?"

"While I'd like to tell you we're getting the situation under control, the truth is anything but. We're barely holding on as it as, so I really need you to pick it up over there. No pressure of course." Towards the very end of his sentence, Enzan's words had become sarcastic. This caused a small smirk to appear on Netto's face as he chuckled a bit to himself.

"I should be there in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. So, just try to hold out until then!"

* * *

 _Honestly, that fool! Just how in the world does he expect us to try and hold this thing back for that long? We're already being pushed to our limits but this damned monster won't stay down!_ Enzan growled in his mind as he glared at the creature displayed on the monitor in front of him. He was in SciLab along with others such as Raika, Dekao, and numerous Official NetBattler agents. Most of Netto's childhood friends were gathered in the SciLab building as they waited for the scientist. But, Meiru was not one of them. She was at home with their son, Raito. As a result, Roll also stayed behind. For Enzan, her absence meant they were missing some of their potential battle strength. But, he also understood the reasons behind Meiru's choice. While he felt that it would be safer for the family to be with them in SciLab, he knew it was futile to try and convince the mother otherwise. Therefore, he would just have to make use of what was currently available to him until the brown haired scientist arrived. In the meantime, an army of Net Navis led by Blues and Searchman were fighting against the monster attacking Densan City. The monster they were battling had features which resembled a Komodo dragon's. However, the similarities pretty much ended there, as this was no ordinary lizard they were facing. While it was hard to correctly guess the monster's size, it appeared to be around twenty-three feet tall or more when it stood on its hind legs. Metallic silver colored scales covered the monster's body in the form of thick armored plating. In addition, the creature also wore a suit of armor that nearly covered its entire body. The dark-green, almost black armor had a sleek, cybernetic appearance giving the armor a very futuristic design. Although the armor was designed to look light, it was surprisingly tough, as it further strengthened the Komodo dragon's already impressive defenses.

The monster was just as heavily armed as it was armored. The claws on its forepaws were at least five inches long, somewhat curved, and sharp enough to slice through thick metal beams with ease. Around the tip of the reptile's long and muscular tail were spikes. There were three of the ivory colored spikes laying horizontally on both the right and left side of its tail. Anyone foolish enough to get within the range of the monster's tail was subjected to brutal punishment. If the combined force of sheer speed and force which the reptile used to swing its tail was not enough to finish someone off with, then the spikes almost certainly were… The monster's efficient use of its tail had caused more than a dozen of the Navis belonging to Enzan's subordinates to meet their end. The monster's arsenal of additional weapons and the array of attacks at its disposal were almost too numerous for him to remember. It had shoulder mounted canons, could fight with energy based broad shoulders, fire off a multitude of AoE attacks and more. However, the thing which concerned Enzan the most was the strange dark-purple, pixelated aura leaking off of the monster's body. Sometimes, the aura would be thin enough to provide the combatants with a clear look at its features. Other times, it would become so dense only the reptile's amber eyes and barely distinguishable outline remained. He was unable to determine why the aura behaved as it did. But, he was certain of the fact the aura was actually some sort of glitch or corruption. He had witnessed its corrosive effect on the environment after the monster lashed out with some sort of attack. Whatever came into contact with the dark-purple aura when it was not in its least present state, left behind a glitch like distortion in the fabric of reality itself…

There was no doubt that the Komodo dragon was a walking calamity. But the devastation being left in its wake was not limited to the real world alone. Due to the rapid advancement of technology, the real world and its online counterpart were more connected than ever. One of the inventions which resulted from this was a new type of machine that behaved similarly to the Copybot. These new machines called LiveNav was believed to be capable of addressing the issues which plagued its discontinued predecessor. As a result, it became possible for Net Navis and humans to once again interact with each other on more personal level. However, unlike most of the world who felt ecstatic over this recent development, Enzan was one of the few who remained wary. There was always some sort of drawback to things like this, and now both the Earth and the Net were suffering as a result. Humanity's decision to revisit the idea of giving Navis the ability to interact with the real world was a mistake. It should have been obvious that trying to integrate the Net even further into the real world would have repercussions. Yet, people chose to ignore the Net's unpredictable nature and pretend that the previous disasters never happened. People had overestimated their abilities and control over the Net and its inhabitants. Now, they had an out of control monster whose very existence threatened both Earth and the Net. The monster's unusual abilities allowed it to affect both places simultaneously. The glitch-like distortions it left behind after an attack damaged the Net as well. Meaning there would soon be nothing left of Densan City and its online counterpart if the reptilian monster was not stopped. Unfortunately, Enzan and his companions lacked the necessary fire power to deal any significant damage. This meant they had no other choice but to stall for time until reinforcements arrived. The reinforcements were Netto and other Official NetBattlers who were stationed in Electopia. But, despite knowing reinforcements were on their way, Enzan was beginning to worry.

"Raika! Have Searchman take Gyroman and get the two of them draw the creature's attention! We can't afford to let it get any closer to the east sector of the city!" Enzan ordered as he glanced over at the light teal haired man. Raika acknowledged his words with a nod and relayed the order to his Net Navi, Searchman.

"Searchman, you heard him! Team up with Gyroman and lure that monstrosity away from the evacuees! Try to bring it back closer to the center of the city!" He instructed and watched as Searchman stopped firing at the monster long enough to approach Gyroman. The helicopter-themed Net Navi agreed to the plan after he was brought up to speed. His Net Op, Charlie Airstar, was not present in the SciLab building as he was helping the civilians evacuate the city. However, Charlie's absence did not mean Gyroman was unable to participate in the fight. Over the course of time, technological advancements had given both Official and Honorary Net Battlers the ability to have their Net Navis fight independently from them. This feature was necessary in situations where Navis were somehow separated from their Net Ops. This separation severely hindered the Navi, as there was little they could do at times without their Net Op. Depending on the situation, this could even lead to the deletion of a Navi. In order to increase the Navi's chances of survival, it was necessary for them to be able to fight even if their Net Op was absent. As a result, select Navis now had the ability to access their Battle Chips if the Net Op selected the appropriate mode.

Within seconds, Gyroman and Searchman were airborne after Gyroman transformed into a helicopter. The yellow helicopter then proceeded to fly in the direction of the Komodo dragon who still trying to get to the east side of the city. Its progress was brought to a halt after it received a couple of shots to the face, courtesy of Searchman. This earned the reptilian creature's annoyance as it roared at the flying nuisances before it attempted to shoot them down. However, the pair made sure to evade its counter attack and continued to harass it for a few more seconds. After they made sure they had the monster's complete attention, the two began to make their retreat. The fleeing duo could hear the monster's enraged roars as it gave chase.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, Netto had finally reached the others in SciLab. "Sorry, for the wait you guys!" He said as he approached the group of people who were gathered in front of the large monitor. Several heads turned in his direction after he made his presence known.

"About time you got here, Netto Hikari!" Enzan said with an irritated sigh accompanying his words. Clearly he had become even more annoyed with the brown-haired scientist since they had last spoken. But, Enzan's lack of patience and manners were not without reason. The situation had begun to take a serious turn for the worse. The reinforcements which arrived sometime before Netto made his appearance helped somewhat in the beginning. However, the monster started to behave even more aggressively as it tried its hardest to eliminate the Navis attacking it. If its behavior patterns were unpredictable before, it was acting completely erratic now. This resulted in their forces losing ground and numerous Net Navis in the process. How they were able to last this long was lost to Enzan, but he was still grateful they managed to hold out.

"You sure know how to make a guy feel welcomed, Enzan." He laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. His words earned him a groan and a muttered complaint from the other man while the others present in the room expressed their own forms of amusement. After the laughter died out, Netto directed his gaze over towards the monitor. The frown which appeared on his face as he observed the fighting had not gone unnoticed. But, the room remained silent, as everyone present opted to leave the scientist alone with his thoughts. Thankfully, they did not have to wait long before Netto turned his attention back towards them. "So, things have gotten this bad, huh?"

"Unfortunately, this indeed the case." Raika responded with hints of an apologetic tone being present in his words. He was feeling more than a little frustrated with how the situation was playing out. "At this rate, that creature is going to break through our formation. If that happens, it'll be very difficult to reorganize ourselves."

"We can't let that happen. We don't have unlimited Battle Chips at our disposal, and our Navis are exhausted enough as it is." Enzan added as he observed how the Navis desperately continued to fight. The battle against the Komodo dragon had lasted for so long, the Navis were having to fight against their own fatigue as well as the monster. Their stamina was not infinite, and the risk of someone making a fatal mistake grew even more likely. "If it manages to break free now, reforming the encirclement will be impossible. Worst case scenario, we'd have to abandon Densan and any nearby areas."

His grim words were met with silence as everyone let the possibility sink in. Even if someone wanted to protest against the action, there was nothing that could be used to refute Enzan's words. The silence continued for several long seconds before it was broken.

"…Then, it looks like we'll really have to use that after all…" It was Netto's voice which cut through the suffocating silence. Everyone in the room was now looking at him; a mixture of different emotions on their faces. A drawn out sigh came from Enzan as he glanced away from Netto to instead look at the monitor. "…Enzan?"

"I don't like it, Netto. I'm seriously against using that thing! It's way too risky! You of all people should know this better than anyone! Hell, you helped design the thing!" Enzan shouted after remaining silent for several seconds. There was a deep set scowl on his face, his eyes containing all sorts of different thoughts and emotions.

"I know, believe me, I do. This entire time, I've been trying to come up with some kind of alternative! If things weren't so dire, I'd never even consider using that sort of weapon! But, we don't have any other choice here, there's too much at stake!" At first, Netto's words were calm and composed. But, as he continued to speak, a desperate sort of anger began to creep in. His unexpected outburst had caused Enzan's own temper to cool down a bit as he stared at Netto. By this point, the whole room had once again gone silent as the two friends went at it. With his head lowered, no one could see the expression on the scientist's face. "Something like this monster… can't be allowed to continue to roam free. If we don't stop it here, then we lose our best possible chance of winning against it." These words were softly spoken, almost as if Netto was talking to himself and not the others. However, his point had been made, and Enzan had no other choice but to back down. No matter how he looked at it, the situation had long since passed the point of no return. The monster they were fighting was far too dangerous and unpredictable to take any more chances on. There was no telling how many more lives it would claim before it was stopped; if it even could be stopped should they fail here…

"…Do what you want then." Enzan said coldly, his tone making it clear he still wasn't happy with the decision. However, his words appeared to be what Netto needed in order to go through with his decision. For seconds after Enzan finished talking, Netto turned to address the scientists who worked under him.

"What are you all standing around for?! Start getting the preparations under way!" He ordered, and the members of his staff scurried away to fulfill his demand. Meanwhile, his friends and Enzan's subordinates returned their full attention back towards the fight. Enzan joined them soon after, but only after he caught sight of the hesitation Netto struggled to hide. Raika had also taken notice of the scientist's reluctance, but like Enzan, he refrained from saying anything. Neither of the two men made any comment about his barely noticeable trembling.

* * *

Back on the battle field, the Navis had been informed of the decision to use their secret weapon. How they felt about it no longer mattered, as this was the only option left. Everything else they tried either ended in failure or barely so much as scratched their adversary. Even so, there were some among them who were still reluctant to place all their hopes on the weapon they were about to unleash. It was an understandable concern, as they were also aware of the risks they were potentially facing. Still, nothing changed the fact that their backs were figuratively against the wall now. Which is why they forced themselves to stop worrying about the what-ifs. All they could do now was keep the monster here within the weapon's range until it was ready…

"Don't lose focus! There's only five minutes left until the weapon fires! This monster won't live to see another day! It will regret its decision to take up arms against our loved ones!" Blues shouted as he tried to keep the group's morale up. The Navis under his command and his friends responded to his words with passionate cries of their own. As tired and beat up as they were, each and every one of them was determined to fight until the very end. This display of fighting spirit brought a small smile to Blues' face before he turned around to glare at the reptilian monster before him. "This is it for you, foolish monster! Prepare yourself!" He declared as he pointed his sword at the monster. The Komodo dragon responded to his words with a defiant roar as its amber eyes glared down at its opponents. Blues responded to the creature's actions with a smirk before he went on the offensive. If it were possible, he would feel a bit of pity for the ignorant creature. The thing was entirely unaware that the next couple of minutes would be its last.

* * *

"The preparations are finished. We can fire the weapon at any time, sir!" One of the other scientists said as he informed Netto of the weapon's readiness. The weapon was a massive, bronze colored canon which was sitting on top of SciLab's main building. It had a long barrel which was squared shaped. The weapon had a sleek design which hid the fact it was actually well armored and heavy. There was also two cables feeding power into the canon. These cables were stationed behind the canon's main body.

"Lock onto its coordinates and prepare to fire!" Netto replied as the other scientist concentrated on entering the correct set of coordinates. There was an air of anticipation and suspense as the weapon's power continued to climb. Outside of the lab, a ball of light began to grow in size until it filled nearly all the available space inside the barrel. The time for when the canon was ready to fire rapidly approached. The sound of his assistant's voice counting down the last remaining seconds echoed in the silent room. During this time, Netto kept his gaze firmly on the monitor which featured the Net Navis and the monster. His face was unreadable and gave away no indicator as to what he might have been thinking. He remained silent up until the point where the countdown had reached its end.

"Fire." The single word which left Netto's mouth resulted in a large beam of concentrated energy shooting forth from the weapon. This energy beam headed straight for the monster, intent on erasing all traces of the creature from existence…

* * *

Without any clear warning or explanation, the monster suddenly stopped paying attention to the Navis gathered around it. Instead, it appeared as if it had been distracted by something else entirely. All of its movements came to a halt and this left the Navis confused as to what it was doing. In the following seconds, they had their answer as a massive streak of light raced straight towards them. Or, more specifically, towards the massive reptile they were fighting. Even though the laser was still some distance away, the Navis were able to detect the immense power packed within the beam. Which is why the monster's utter stillness continued to baffle them. Surely, the creature could sense that the laser had the potential to end its existence. So, why was it not trying to at least muster some sort of defense against the oncoming laser?

"!?" An ominous sense of foreboding suddenly wracked Blues' entire body. Every last fiber of his being was warning him that something was _wrong_. There was just something completely and utterly wrong with the reptile's lack of a reaction. Directing his gaze upward towards the creature's face, he felt a growing sense of dread. The Komodo dragon's indifferent expression had not faltered by the slightest bit. But, even so, Blues was experienced enough to know that was never a good sign. He needed to warn the others immediately, however; that was a chance he would never get. Seconds before the laser could come close to reaching its target, the monster decided to make its move. Suddenly, a large dark-purple dome shaped barrier came into existence and surrounded the monster's body. The barrier's dark coloration completely hid the Komodo dragon from their view.

* * *

The sudden appearance of the barrier had caught everyone back in SciLab off guard as well. Up until now, the monster had never revealed that it was capable of creating barriers. Had it been hiding this ability the entire time? Or, had it been building up energy in order to unleash an attack powerful enough to decisively end this conflict? The lack of an explanation which could describe the new development sent Netto and his fellow scientists into a frenzy. They needed to figure out what the deal behind the barrier was and quickly at that!

"Sir! The energy readings that are coming from the barrier are unbelievable!" A scientist who was in his late twenties reported with a voice full of disbelief. His statement caused Netto to quickly rush over to the other scientist's side.

"What's going on?" Enzan asked as he quickly grew tired of being kept in the dark and watching the scientists move about in a panic.

"I can't say… But, I'm 100% certain it's not good. As far as I can tell, the laser's not having any effect on the barrier at all. It's almost like the laser is getting-!" Netto cut his response short as his eyes widened in realization. "That barrier's absorbing the laser's energy!" Netto was on the verge of saying more, but he was cut off by the younger scientist.

"I apologize for interrupting, but there's something strange going on with the barrier!" Those words pulled Netto's attention back over towards the screen his co-worker was looking at. As he studied the information being displayed by the monitor, his mind worked frantically to make sense of it all. However, the answer continued to elude him. But, at the very least, it did not take very long before the answer revealed itself.

The monster's barrier started to shrink at a rapid rate until it was half of its original size. Before anyone could begin to question this latest turn of events, everything was already over. The barrier released all of the energy it stored in an unexpected burst. The energy being expelled was several times greater than what was originally absorbed. This meant the barrier had amplified the laser's power and was now releasing it over a wide area. There was no defense against the immense wall of energy that showed no signs of slowing down. Within seconds, all of Densan had been engulfed by the blinding light. Not even SciLab was spared as the wall of energy continued to travel further and further away from its epicenter. Everything in its path was thoroughly obliterated, as it continued to spread destruction far and wide…

By the end of it, Electopia had almost been completely wiped out of existence. The country's population had been reduced to such critically low numbers that it was miracle anyone had survived at all. The Electopian side of the Net was entirely destroyed, and as a result, inaccessible to the rest of the world. The disaster which virtually destroyed Electopia had also affected the networks of several nearby countries. The resulting damage the other countries took left them with having several areas of their own networks becoming unusable. The government officials of the other countries were not happy at all, but they could not exactly demand answers from Electopia. The country had been left in shambles, and there were virtually no individuals capable enough to run their government in place of their deceased leaders. Even if there was anyone among the survivors who could take their place, they would hardly be a reliable source of information. After all, no one knew where the monster that destroyed their country had come from. They didn't even know whether or not it was still alive, as there had yet to be any further sightings…


	3. Jiro Ichinose: The Distant Rebel

It was morning in Densan City with the weather being warm and pleasant. The few clouds which were visible lazily floated by as gentle winds pushed them along. To an excited class full of junior high students, this was the perfect weather for going on a field trip! Which was why they stood outside gathered in front of an important looking building. The towering, futuristic building in front of them was the city's infamous Cubic Museum. It was built to look like a very large, black cube with thin streams of green colored light racing through tubes. This created the impression of data moving along as it traveled from one place to the next, almost like data being streamed.

Among the class of talkative and excited students were Jiro Ichinose and his two friends, Kiseki Akita and Reiji Kobayashi. The three teenaged boys were located close to the rear of their class; dressed in their school uniforms.

"What a splendid looking building! But, it doesn't look nearly as magnificent as me!" Kiseki said as he brushed back the bangs of his multi-shaded, yellow-green hair. The gesture was performed with a bit of dramatic flair during the latter part of his statement. The act of comparing one's appearance to those of a building's would usually earn the speaker strange looks from their peers. However, Kiseki Akita was an individual known for having rather high levels of self-confidence. He was the type of person others would call "flashy". He never lets a chance to stand out slip past him.

"Its design is simple yet it also gives off this feeling of mystery. In a way, it has its own sort of elegance." Reiji commented as his chestnut eyes stared at the building in appreciation. As he continued to observe the museum, the ginger-haired teenager felt the urge to sketch it. Out of the three friends, he was the artistic one. But, doing so would take too much time. It was a matter of minutes before the entire class went inside and started touring the museum. If he tried to start drawing now, then he would surely get left behind.

"You're both making a big deal out of nothing. It's just a cube with some lights running through it." The less than impressed voice of Jiro Ichinose caught the other two's attention. While Kiseki and Reiji turned their heads to look in his direction, Jiro's stare remained fixed on the museum. The teenager's sapphire colored eyes displayed nothing other than his complete boredom. Already the field trip felt like it was going to be a waste of time. Yet, everyone else seemed to be so caught up in pointless hype. This wasn't something like an amusement park or a movie theater. Instead, it was a block shaped building which would obviously contain boring artifacts coming from some long outdated era.

"Come now, Jiro! Where's your sense of adventure? This is the most famous museum of all of Electopia! All other museums are inferior to one such as this! How on earth does this not excite you?" Kiseki questioned with a tone of disbelief. How could his friend not appreciate the museum's mysterious appeal?!

"He's right Jiro. It's not every day we get the chance to visit the Cubic Museum." Reiji added as he voiced his own agreement. "With how popular this place is, it's amazing that this is happening at all!"

"I still think the both of you are getting worked up over nothing. So what if they have a few things no other place does? That kind of "appeal" is an overused gimmick if you ask me." Jiro snorted dismissively as he moved his gaze over towards his friends. It was obvious he was not the least bit interested in what the museum had to offer. His lack of interest in the museum was not totally unexpected. But, his friends still wished he would share in their excitement, if only a little. Jiro could tell they were a bit disappointed with his responses, but to his relief, they stopped trying to persuade him. The field trip was likely going to be enough of an ordeal on its own. Dealing with the two of them on top of that was not something he look forward to doing. To make matters even more troublesome, he could feel someone staring at him from behind. He already had a good guess as to who the culprit was, but it wouldn't hurt to be absolutely sure. Turning his head around to see behind him, his eyes made contact with Rina Izumi's.

The girl's teal eyes widened in shock for a short moment as she had not expected Jiro to turn around.

 _Jiro…_ Her surprise gave way to a temporary feeling of hope, thinking this could be her chance to talk to the dark-indigo haired teenager. This hopeful feeling continued to grow as the two maintained eye contact. But, right at the moment where she opened her mouth to speak, Jiro suddenly closed his eyes. He then turned away from her, leaving Rina to stare at his back once more. His actions resulted in him missing the brief look of hurt that flashed momentarily in her eyes. But, even if he had managed to catch it, would he have even cared..?

"This is a surprise. When did you start getting interested in the class rebel, Rina?" The teasing words came from the girl who was standing next to Rina on her right; Ayane Fujikawa. She was one of the two friends who was currently standing by Rina. The other girl, Saya Amano standing to her left had also taken an interest in their conversation. Faced with the half curious, half teasing looks being sent her way, Rina found herself scrambling to correct the misunderstanding.

"C-cut it out Ayane! You've got the wrong idea!" The periwinkle, short haired girl said as she denied her friend's statement. If Ayane's amused hum was any indication about how she felt, then it was safe to say she didn't quite believe Rina's claims. But, perhaps it was her fault for staring at Jiro for so long. How could she have been so clueless to not realize Ayane had been watching her?! Rina knew well enough that the other girl would most likely not drop the matter any time soon. Meaning she could expect the teasing and questioning to continue for quite some time. After all, Ayane had no way of knowing the true reasons behind her actions…

"You shouldn't be so shy around us, Rina-chan…" Saya muttered unhappily as she also felt Rina was not being completely honest with them. Rina wasn't sure if she was meant to hear what Saya just said. Which was why she was going to pretend she didn't and let the conversation drop. Hopefully the two would take the hint and leave the matter alone for the time being.

* * *

With a clap of her holographic hands, their History teacher, HTMiki#003 attempted to gain the students' attention. The numbers attached to the end of her name represented her model number. In today's world, majority of the teachers were holograms instead of real people. For the sake of convenience, everyone addresses her as Miki-sensei. "Okay, everybody! It's time to head inside the museum! Please line up single file!"

The students followed her instructions and began to line up. Practically everyone, other than Jiro, was brimming with excitement. Apparently, their coral, long haired teacher was also feeling the same. Not only because this was her job, but it was also in her programming to be happy about most things. It was possible for her to feel other emotions, but she rarely expressed anything but positivity.

After lining up, the students followed their teacher inside the building.

* * *

Once they entered, gasps of amazement could be heard coming from multiple students. The inside of the Cubic Museum was far different from the simplistic impression it gave off on the outside. Already, Jiro's classmates were taken aback by the level of detail which went into the exhibits displayed in front of them. It was as if they had literally been transported back in time! Miki-sensei laughed lightly at their delighted expressions as she folded her hands neatly in front of her.

"Isn't it amazing? As you can see, there's all sorts of exhibits displaying different timelines! Let's take a look! Remember to stick together and scan the descriptions as we go along." Their teacher's words prompted everyone to pull out their PETs. The devices would be used to scan the explanation panels of the exhibits they visited. This new method of recording information eliminated the need to manually type things over a keyboard or notepad of some sort. For the students, having the ability to scan things was a great time saver. After all, they would likely be given some sort of written assignment to complete once they left the museum. Getting left behind or failing to pay attention because they were too focused on taking notes wasn't ideal. Which is why having a Net Navi made this process even simpler! The Navis would sort through the information and select what they felt were the most important parts. This spared their human partners the effort of having to go back and read through tons of information. However, not everyone in Miki-sensei's class had a Net Navi of their own. Unlike most of their classmates, Jiro and Rina were among the rare few who did not have one.

"Jiro, why is it so difficult for you to take the time to get yourself a Net Navi? It'll take you ages to read through all of those notes!" Kiseki said in exasperation as he watched Jiro scan the explanation panel belonging to one of the exhibits. He's been friends with Jiro for almost three years now, and not once had he made an attempt to get a Navi! This annoyed Kiseki to no end as he felt there was no reason for anyone _NOT_ to have one _._ Navis were stylish, powerful, intelligent, and reliable! His own partner, Fluorescentman, was a "perfect" example of all of the above! No matter what reasons Jiro may have, Kiseki refused to allow a friend of his to remain Navi-less! He would not stop until he saw to it that Jiro had a Navi of his own.

"…" Instead of replying to Kiseki, Jiro continued to focus on listening to his teacher's explanations. This was probably the millionth time Kiseki had gotten on his case about him not having a Net Navi. By this point, Jiro was more than content to tune out his noisy friend. He had his own reasons for why he did not want one, and his mind wasn't going to be changing anytime soon. _Why won't he leave me alone about it already? So annoying…_

At least Reiji wasn't as likely to question him. In some ways, he and Jiro were alike. One trait they shared was how they preferred to keep to themselves. There were times when the artist asked his friend about his reasons, but he never truly pressed the issue. Prying into other people's affairs was not something Reiji liked doing. So, the ginger haired teen would usually leave those sorts of things alone.

As for Rina, her reason were less vague than those of Jiro's. The girl was a bit old fashioned despite living in this technologically advanced age. She preferred to do things on her own, like writing things down in a non-digital journal. Every day after school, she would spend some time writing in her journal with a pencil or pen in hand.

* * *

Around noon, the class took a break from touring the museum and headed outside to have lunch.

"Once everyone's finished eating, we'll go back inside the museum. But, this time you'll be able to do some exploring on your own! Make sure you scan any exhibits you find interesting. You'll be sharing your discoveries later once we regroup!"

A few minutes after the teacher's announcement, Jiro's class finished with their lunches. Once they finished cleaning up after themselves, everyone headed back inside. Immediately, some of the students grouped together with their friends and went in different directions. Others had decided to explore by themselves and headed for less crowded areas of the museum. Before Jiro had the chance to slip away and do the same, Kiseki stopped him.

"Hold on, Jiro! Don't just sneak off on your own! Shall we explore with Reiji?" He said as he walked over to Jiro's side. Irritation was visible in Jiro's eyes as Kiseki approached him.

"We've been over this before. If it's not mandatory, then I'm not interested in doing group activities. So, you two are on your own." The firm reply he gave left no room for argument. Kiseki frowned in response to his words, but he was unmoved by it. Jiro had long since established that he did not like working with others. If he could avoid those types of situations, then he would. Unfortunately for Kiseki and Reiji, they were no exception despite them being friends.

"What a shame, but I suppose it can't be helped. Come Reiji, let us be on our way." With a shrug, Kiseki decided to let Jiro do as he wanted for the time being.

"Okay." Reiji said as he began to follow Kiseki as the taller teen took the lead.

* * *

With the other two now on their way, Jiro was able to head off on his own. He didn't have an exact destination in mind so he had to settle with his aimless wandering. Trying to find an exhibit he considered to be worth recording was going to be rather tedious. His classmates and friends might have been impressed with what they saw earlier, however; he was not. At this rate, finding something worth scanning would prove to be impossible. Yet, picking a random exhibit and going with the flow was not a very good option either. Trying to slide by Miki-sensei with some half-heartedly completed assignment hardly ever worked. In fact, doing anything of the sort was more trouble than it was worth! After all, who would willingly do the same pain-in-the-butt assignment twice?

"Hm?" His feet suddenly came to a stop and this drew him out of his thoughts. He blinked in confusion as he glanced around to get a better idea of his surroundings. After a few seconds of observation, Jiro noticed he walked rather far into the museum. Everything around him was unfamiliar, although maybe he shouldn't be completely surprised by that? The museum was much larger than it appeared to be on the outside. If there were places the class didn't visit, then it was because there was so much ground to cover. In other words, his lack of attention towards his surroundings resulted in him possibly getting lost. Right now, it felt like trying to find his way back would be pointless. He would be better off making the most of this and see what kind of exhibits were here. Maybe he would be able to figure out where he ended up while looking around?

* * *

As it turns out, his aimless wandering from before brought him to the museum's newest attraction. According to the room's description, The Millennial Sector featured artifacts dating back a thousand years ago. Countless artifacts in the building were at least a thousand years old, so that detail wasn't very surprising. However, Jiro found himself growing slightly curious as to the story behind the attraction's development. Nowhere else in the entire museum would one find artifacts belonging to the Electopian Disaster; the controversial event rumored to have almost destroyed the entire country of Electopia. For the longest time, scholars and historians debated over what caused such devastation. As time progressed, a countless number of theories were made. Most would be discarded later on for a number of reasons. However, there were a couple of theories, which would live on to become popularly held opinions by a majority of people.

The first theory was primarily based on old stories which were passed down through generations. The stories spoke of a massive monster which appeared out of the blue without warning. Apparently, the monster had gone on a senseless rampage and terrorized the entire country with its presence. An army made up of elite fighters supposedly engaged the monster in a heated battle. But, the conflict ended without a clear victor as a mysterious explosion occurred during the fight. It was so massive, it engulfed the entire country and nearly wiped out everything caught in the blast. To this day, no one had any concrete ideas as to what triggered the explosion. There were theories, but they all lacked enough evidence to sufficiently back them up.

The second theory claims the event never occurred at all. It was speculated the technology back then lacked the capability to have given rise to such a monster. No matter how advanced their ancestors' civilization might have been, it was simply impossible to believe. The examples of past technology found in other countries lent credibility to the statement. Instead, it was believed other causes such as war or natural disasters were to blame. Most supporters of this theory believe the country was at war with some unknown enemy. The most obvious suspect would be a neighboring country. However, there was a reason this idea was hard to prove. There were no records of such a war taking place, suggesting the world may have been at peace.

 _Could something that powerful really have existed?_ Jiro thought as his gaze traveled across a miniature replica of Electopia. The replica was a representation of what the country would have looked like if the disaster really did occur. There was nothing left standing, and the country was left looking like a wasteland. As he continued to study the replica, his gaze landed on Densan City; or what used to be Densan. Where the futuristic city once stood, only a gaping crater remained. _Whatever. Even if it was true, it's no big deal. It's all in the past. People who waste their time debating about it clearly have nothing better to do with their lives._

Growing tired of looking at the replica, Jiro decided to search elsewhere with both hands in his pockets. He was so disinterested with the model that he didn't bother scanning it. Shortly after moving on, he came across another exhibit which somewhat stood out. Seeing as how it was nearby, it only took Jiro a few seconds to reach the exhibit. In the glass display case in front of him was a device of some sort. The device was in a state of disrepair as its body was rusted all over. There were hints of blue on the rusted device which could have been its original color. _What is this clunky thing? Some sort of ancient rock?_

The device was in reality a PET. The description of the exhibit states: _The newest arrival in Cubic Museum! This extremely rare find was excavated from underneath the ground located in the outskirts of Akihara Town. The number of PETs belonging to this era is very few._

 _ **FRAGILE. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM TOUCHING THE GLASS.**_

Jiro hummed thoughtfully to himself after he finished reading the description. He had to admit, the beat-up and rusted device interested him to some degree. There was a mysteriousness about it that he couldn't quite describe. Plus, he was certain none of his classmates had come this way. This meant he would likely be the first one to report back something related to the Millennial Sector. A discovery like this would probably be the best he could manage, so he decided to pull out his PET. As Jiro raised the arm holding his PET up to scan the exhibit, something rather unusual happened. Both his PET and the one inside the glass case began to glow as if they were in sync.

"What the…!?" He exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. This wasn't supposed to happen, was it?! Seconds after the glowing stopped, Jiro instinctually checked the screen on his PET to make sure everything was back to normal. But to his horror, he noticed how there was something being downloaded onto his PET! Numerous pop-up windows came into existence momentarily before they disappeared; only for more to take their place. By this point, Jiro was panicking as he desperately tried to turn off his PET. "It's not turning off! What the hell is going on?! Just my luck if this is some stupid virus!"


	4. FutureHazard!

"Come on! Turn off already!" Jiro snapped irritably as he continued to struggle with his malfunctioning PET. The stubborn device refused to shut down despite his best efforts to turn it off. Annoyed sapphire eyes drilled holes into the transparent blue colored PET as he glared at it.

"Hey, you over there! Get away from that exhibit!" The sudden shout caused Jiro to become startled and nearly drop his PET. Reacting quickly, he tried to prevent the machine from falling by catching it. However, his actions resulted in him juggling the PET a bit. The sight was somewhat comical as the slippery device continued to evade his grasp for a few seconds. In the end, he managed to prevent the machine from taking a hard fall onto the ground. Any relief he may have felt was overridden by his embarrassment and anger. He was really going to give the idiot who nearly made him drop his PET a piece of his mind! With narrowed eyes, Jiro turned his body to face the direction where the shout came from.

Staring right back at the teenager was a pair of casually dressed men. The first was a blue haired man who wore a white t-shirt, khaki pants, and a pair of gray sneakers. The other with his arms folded across his chest was a brown, short-haired man who was both taller and heavier built than his companion. He wore a green plaid shirt which had a white and darker green pattern on it. In addition, the taller man wore a pair of blue jeans and dark-brown hiking boots. As Jiro observed them, he noticed how there didn't seem to be anything out the ordinary with the two.

"I'm not going to tell you again, kid! Move away from the exhibit!" The blue haired man said as he repeated his demand. This caused Jiro to frown in displeasure as he shifted his gaze over towards the speaker.

"You don't get to tell me what to do. In case you hadn't noticed, you're in a museum, and I was here first. So, learn to wait your turn, moron!" Jiro retorted, having become fed up with the shorter man's attitude towards him. His response prompted the two men to exchange glances before the taller one took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. This was followed by him uncrossing his arms and closing his eyes for a brief moment. When he reopened them, he fixed Jiro with a cold stare while he spoke.

"Certainly, we're not in any position to make you do anything. But, I believe it'll be in your best interest to move aside." There was something in his words which caused a chill to travel down Jiro's spine. His gruff sounding voice carried the hints of warning in its tone. It was almost as if he was giving Jiro one final chance to avoid any trouble. The atmosphere inside of the room was strained as the three engaged in a 2-vs-1 staring contest.

 _He's serious… No, they both are. But, are they really about to start a fight over some piece of junk? Better yet, why am I even still standing here?_ While questioning the rationality behind his choice to remain in place, the situation was growing worse by the second. He could tell their patience was running out, although it was not as if they had very much of it begin with… However, despite of the risks he was possibly taking, he didn't move from his spot. There was some indescribable urge telling him to not let the two men get near the PET. If he did, then it felt like something terrible would happen… _Tch, what's with me? Why the hell am I getting all concerned over some scrap metal?_

"We'll take your silence as a refusal. Very well, then. Since you refuse to listen to reason, we have no other choice but to use force." The brown haired man said as he sighed. As he spoke, both he and his companion started reaching for something kept in the pocket of their pants. This alarmed Jiro, as he began to worry the two were armed. Even after the objects were pulled out into view and revealed to be PETs, Jiro felt no sense of relief. After all, PETs could be just as dangerous as any weapon when in the wrong hands. "SwordTroop, Stand By!"

"RocketTroop, Stand By!" The other man followed his companion's lead as they both called for their Navis. The words spoken by the two men caused Jiro to start sweating. He recognized the phrase the duo used and understood that it meant serious trouble. As if things weren't bad enough already! The two really did intend to have him beaten to a pulp…!

""ReaLize!"" The pair shouted and their PETs responded to their words by opening up a panel on the back of the devices. This resulted in a small black screen coming into view as its hiding place was exposed. Seconds later, a beam of light shot forth from the screen and proceeded to scan the area. During the scan, a grid like pattern appeared on the walls, ceiling, floor, and everything else inside of the room; Jiro included. While this was going on, two bursts of light escaped from the men's PETs and turned into masses of data. The globs of data rapidly began to grow and take the shape of humanoid figures. The process was over in a matter of seconds, and after it ended, two Net Navis were left standing before their Net Ops. SwordTroop was a sword wielding Navi who wore a black bodysuit and copper colored motorcycle themed helmet; it covered his entire face. His gloves and boots were the same color. Lastly, his bodysuit had gold accents in the form of zigzags running down his sides. RocketTroop had the same color scheme and appearance as SwordTroop, but was armed with rocket launchers which sat on both of his shoulders.

The appearance of the Navis caused Jiro to take a small involuntary step back. His jaw was clenched and the hand not holding onto his PET was balled into a tight fist. _Great… Just great! This day keeps getting better and better!_ The teen thought sarcastically as he glared at the pair of Navis. Right now, he was at a huge disadvantage. There was simply no way he could even consider taking on two fully materialized Net Navis! However, the Navis presence in the real world was not the only thing which filled him with dread. The color scheme and armor worn by SwordTroop and RocketTroop were familiar to him and not in a good way… _I don't believe this! Why are members of FutureHazard here in a museum?!_

 _FutureHazard._ A group of extremists that appeared infrequently on the news. There was little known about the group, except that they made up large percentage of the people who believed in the Electopian Disaster. Otherwise, they were a total mystery to most people. But, this new discovery did not make Jiro's situation any better. After all, these were the type of people that he was supposed to avoid!

"Well? What's with the holdup, brat? Aren't you going to bring out your Navi? It can't be that pitifully weak, can it?" The blue-haired man taunted as he took notice of Jiro's reactions. His taller companion on the other hand remained silent, choosing to merely observe the teen.

As much as Jiro wanted to respond to the man, he simply couldn't… Unless he sent out his Navi, any sort of reply he could give would seem weak in comparison. Since he didn't have a Navi, it was impossible to send it out into combat. While the two men didn't know that, they certainly weren't going to keep waiting for him make a move. It was only a matter of time before they ran out of patience and ordered their Navis to attack.

"Tch, how long do you plan to act like some sort of tough guy?! If you're not going to bring your Navi out, then I'll have RocketTroop crush you instead!" Apparently, the blue-haired man was the first to grow tired of Jiro's "act". Despite the situation, Jiro couldn't help but smirk bitterly at his predicament. Here he was, an unarmed and Navi-less human about to get sent to the hospital. All because he wanted to protect some ancient PET. The news reporters would get a kick out of reporting a story like this. Especially considering the fact his opponents were not ordinary people. He really managed to screw things up, didn't he?

* * *

"Ummm, what's going on?" A child-like voice cut through the tense atmosphere of the room and caught everyone's attention. Five pairs of eyes searched the surroundings, as their owners tried to locate the speaker. However, there was no one other than them present in the Millennial Sector. Which was odd considering the five of them were certain they definitely heard someone's voice just now.

 _That sounded like it was awfully close by… But, I guess it was nothing._ Jiro thought as he sighed internally. But, before he could continue with his current train of thought, his inner monologue was interrupted. Again.

"Hello? Anyone there?" The voice from before once again made itself heard; the speaker's tone just as confused as it was earlier. This time, Jiro was entirely certain the voice was right by him. But, where was it coming from? As he glanced over to his right, he felt the urge to look in the direction of his PET. During this entire ordeal, he had completely forgotten about the device…! Panic set in once again as he immediately brought the PET up to his face to check on it. But, what he saw on the screen was far from anything he could have ever imagined.

"Huh? Wh-who are you?! What are you doing in my PET!?" Jiro exclaimed in surprise, as his sapphire eyes made contact with a pair of green ones that stared back at him. Their owner was a humanoid type of A.I who wore a dark blue bodysuit which had a cyan stripe on each side. His helmet, gloves, and boots were blue and had yellow shoulder guards. Lastly, there were two red, symmetrical trapezoids which formed his Navi mark. "Shit! You must be a virus! Looks like I'll definitely have to put my PET on clean-up mode."

"H-hold on! I'm not a virus! I'm a Net Navi!" The A.I shouted in protest. Jiro was not convinced, it would be just like a virus to claim it wasn't one. He never encountered nor heard of a talking virus. Perhaps this one was more intelligent and advanced?

"As if I'll believe that!" Jiro countered as he continued to shout at his PET. The A.I winced in the face of Jiro's shouting and the glare being sent its way. Yet, it made no attempt to leave the PET.

"It's the truth! Besides, who are you anyways? Where's Netto-kun?" The last question caught Jiro off guard. The A.I mentioned a name he never heard of before. In his confusion, he gave the other an odd look.

"…Netto? Who's that supposed to be?" Although his words contained curiosity, they had not lost their angry tone completely. He could feel his temper begin to rise again as the digital being was now giving him a disbelieving stare. What right did it have to be looking at him like that?!

"HEY! I don't know what kind of comedy routine you're trying to pull over there, but enough is enough!" Annoyed about being ignored, the blue-haired man's patience finally wore out. His angry words brought Jiro and the A.I's attention over towards him; his companion and their Navis. The reminder of their existence caused Jiro to groan under his breath in exasperation. How could he have forgotten about those four?! With a click of his tongue, the teen turned his attention to t the A.I on his PET.

"Well, if you're going to claim that you're a Net Navi, then prove it!" Jiro demanded as he turned the PET around so the A.I could see the situation for himself. If this thing really was a Net Navi, then maybe he stood a chance after all!

"Huh?!" The Navi seemed to be having a hard time keeping up with Jiro and the things he was saying. First, the teenager accused him of being a virus… Now, he was telling him to fight some complete strangers without giving any sort of explanation?! To top it all off, the dark haired teenager still hasn't answered any of his questions! _Still, I better lend him a hand. He seems like he's in some sort of trouble with those guys._ "Uh, fine! I'll help you out!"

"Glad to hear it." It was a good thing the Net Navi decided to cooperate with him. Against two armed Navis, Jiro needed all the help he could get. If that meant asking some strange Navi for assistance, then so be it. Although, now that he thought about it… He didn't have the first clue about what he was supposed to be doing. How did the two men send out their Navis again?

"This is no time for you to be spacing out brat! RocketTroop, take him out already!" The blue-haired man ordered, and his Net Navi immediately took action by sprinting towards Jiro. SwordTroop and his Net Op stood on the sidelines as they continued to watch. As RocketTroop raced towards him, the teen realized he was running out of time. If he did not act quickly, then he would be beaten down before he had the chance to do anything.

"R-ReaLize!" In his desperation to defend himself, he wound up blurting out the first thing which came to his mind. Thankfully, his PET was able to understand his hastily spoken command and execute it. In the same manner which brought SwordTroop and RocketTroop into the real world, the strange Navi also began to appear.

* * *

"Too late, brat!" RocketTroop said as he rushed up to Jiro with his fist pulled back. At this rate, it really did look like he'd take a direct hit from the punch! Before RocketTroop's attack could connect, something caught hold of his fist and held it firmly in place. This surprised both Jiro and RocketTroop, as the latter's momentum was brought to a complete stop. "What?!"

"Phew, that was a close one!" The blue and dark-blue Navi said with a sigh of a relief. To the surprise of everyone in the room, he managed to bring RocketTroop to a standstill, merely by blocking the punch with his right hand. The attacking Navi tried to pull away but wasn't able to as his opponent maintained his grip. Then, the somewhat shorter Navi strengthened his hold and pulled RocketTroop forward and caused him to stumble due to loss of balance. Before he knew what was happening, he was suddenly blown back as the breath in his body was forcefully expelled.

"Y-you little…twerp!" RocketTroop grunted in pain as he recovered from the blow he was dealt. The reason he was sent flying back moments ago was simple. During the span of the few milliseconds after he lost his balance, the other Navi sent a punch straight into his stomach! To be so easily repelled by such an average looking Navi was an insult to his pride! "You won't be getting in anymore cheap shots like that one! Don't just stand there, SwordTroop! Help me out here!"

"What's the matter, RocketTroop? Have you become so weak that a single punch is enough to make you cry for help?" His partner taunted as he took several steps forward to reach RocketTroop's side.

"Ha! You must be kidding! I could easily take this guy if I wanted to! I just want to hurry and get this over with!" RocketTroop boastfully retorted. In the background, his Net Op could be heard agreeing with him. On the other hand, SwordTroop only chuckled in amusement while his own Net Op remained silent.

"Then, let's not waste any more time. We've already spent too much of it here in this museum as it is." With these words, the two Navis mentally readied themselves to engage their opponent. However, the same could be said for the third Navi as he exchanged words with Jiro.

"Hope you've got some Battle Chips ready! They're about to start making their move!" The green eyed Navi said as he glanced behind him to look at Jiro. At this, a small frown appeared on the teenager's face as he pulled out his meager collection of chips.

"All I've got are Canon and Mini Bombs…" He said in reply. This earned a disbelieving look from the Navi. Feeling embarrassed, Jiro's reply came across as a bit snappish. "Give me a break! It's not like I thought I'd ever get caught up in something like this!"

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out." The Navi replied as he sighed. This certainly was way different from what he was used to. If Netto-kun were here, those other two Navis would have already been dealt with! But, there was no point in continuing to think along those lines. If he didn't have many chips to work with, then he'd simply have to figure out a way around it! Luckily for them both, he knew exactly what needed to be done. Turning his head around so he could face his opponents, he sent them a small smile. The expression sent chills down the spines of the other two, prompting them to heighten their guard. The pair then prepared to go on the offensive, with SwordTroop taking the lead. RocketTroop hung back in order to provide long-ranged support with his rockets. SwordTroop had only taken a few steps towards his opponent, before the motionless Navi made a move of his own. "Area Steal!"

"?!" A wordless exclamation escaped from SwordTroop as his opponent vanished from sight. This caused him to stop his charge as he tried to locate the other Navi. As his luck would have it, SwordTroop never got the chance to find the smaller Navi.

"Urk!" The pained grunt was the last sound he made, his body promptly turning into medium sized cubes. He did not remain in this state for long, as he was forcibly returned to his PET. His Net Op's eyes were opened wide in surprise, and he looked down at his device. Where SwordTroop once stood, only the shorter Navi now remained. His right arm transformed into a long, gleaming, white-gold energy sword.

"SwordTroop, hang in there!" The brown-haired man said as he observed his Navi's injured state. To his relief, the damage inflicted on SwordTroop was not severe enough to endanger his life. Yet, he was still in pretty rough shape and unresponsive to his Net Op's words. Reassured his Navi wasn't in any immediate danger, the man's eyes focused on their blue armored enemy. The Net Navi returned his stare momentarily before transferring it over towards RocketTroop.

In response, RocketTroop braced himself in preparation to take on the mysterious Navi. While he put on a brave front, internally he was feeling extremely nervous. He had every reason to considering his teammate got cut down in the blink of an eye! "Don't get a head of yourself! You're not going to beat me like I'm some sort of chump!" He declared as fired eight rockets in the direction of the other Navi. _Let's see how you handle these, punk! Besides, even if you somehow manage to get through, you'll still be out of luck! You'll learn the hard way that I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve!_

Confident in his ability to fair better against their opponent, RocketTroop was feeling smug. However, the smirk hidden behind his helmet quickly disappeared. All eight of the rockets he sent towards the other Navi were destroyed in an instant! It took only a few swipes from his opponent's sword to put the rockets out of commission. The flying projectiles exploded upon their destruction, yet that didn't hinder his opponent in any way. Having taken care of the rockets, the other Navi lunged towards RocketTroop with an incredible burst of speed.

 _He's fast…!_ Before RocketTroop could attempt to defend himself, the fight was already over. With a single, diagonally placed strike, the mysterious Navi finished him off in the exact same way he had SwordTroop. Feeling his consciousness fade, all RocketTroop could feel was his sense of utter disbelief. _I-impossible… How could he be so-_! Without having the chance to even finish his thought, RocketTroop was sent to his PET.

Thus, the one-sided battle reached its conclusion, and the blue Navi's arm returned to normal. Meanwhile, the trio of humans were all rendered speechless as they stared at the Net Navi. For the time being, no attention was paid to the destruction around them…

* * *

"…It's over? Just like that?" Jiro blinked slowly as his mind tried to process what he just witnessed. This random, average looking Navi took out the other two in less than a minute! His words caught the attention of the Navi who turned around to face him.

"Yep, it's over! Since there's all this stuff around, I figured it would be better to settle things quickly!" The Navi replied cheerfully, clearly in a sort of "Job Well Done!" sort of mood. As if remembering something, the Navi turned back around to look at the pair of men who previously threatened Jiro. "Oh yeah, we can't forget about these two. We should call the authorities and have these guys arrested! Honestly, what kind of adults think it's okay to threaten a child?"

"Tch, like that's going to happen!" The blue-haired man replied and looked like he was about to say more. A hand placed on his shoulder cut off whatever he was going to say and he turned to look at his taller companion. The other man shook his head as he looked down briefly and then glanced over his shoulder.

"We should go. There's no way the explosions from earlier will go unnoticed. People from other parts of the museum are likely calling the police. Also, the order to abandon the mission was just sent." He said as he calmly informed his shorter teammate of the situation. The information caused the blue-haired man to grit his teeth in frustration and yank his shoulder out of the other's grip.

"Then what are we standing around here for?! Let's get going already!" He snapped as he started to walk briskly away from his current position. However, before he fully exited the room, he sent a glare in the direction of Jiro and the Navi. In his eyes, there was a clear message being sent. After staring the two down for a few seconds, he finally went on his way. The taller man silently following suit.

"Ack, they're right! We need to get going, too!" Jiro said as he observed their surroundings. The exhibits, walls, and floor were somewhat damaged and dirtied. This was no doubt the result of the numerous explosions which took place earlier! If he got caught here with a Navi out in the open, he would surely be blamed! To be fair, the room was in this state because the Navi tried to protect him… But still, it would be way too problematic for him to explain himself to the museum guards and police officers!

"What about those guys? We can't just let them escape!" The Navi protested, feeling very reluctant about letting such dangerous people go. In response, Jiro groaned in annoyance.

"It's not our job to catch people like them! Let the police handle it! What's important now is that we don't get any further involved with this mess!" As he spoke, the teen began to fumble around with the controls to his PET. His actions earned him a curious look from the Navi, but Jiro paid it no attention. It took him longer than he'd like, but he managed to find the recall feature he was looking for. Pressing the pop-up related to the command, the Navi was sent back inside. The sudden action caused the blue Navi to cry out in surprise, but again, Jiro ignored it. Instead, the teen tucked the device away in his pocket and began to walk speedily out of the room. Hopefully he didn't wait too long to start making his escape…!


	5. Guilty or Innocent

_Today is just NOT my day…_ The teenager thought as he heard the sounds of footsteps running up the stairs. While he could not tell how many people were making their way up, he did know one thing; this meant trouble. There was simply no way any normal person would be heading in this direction. Meaning he was seconds away from being face to face with angry museum guards! It was impossible for him to hide, as the hallway he was currently in lacked hiding spots. Retreating back inside the Millennial Sector and hiding behind some of the less damaged exhibits was out of the question. Taking cover behind the exhibits while sneaking out of the room would take considerable skill. If he got his timing wrong at any point, then it would be game over. Jiro also doubted he could be stealthy enough to pull a stunt like that off. Since those two ideas were no good, Jiro was essentially out of options. But, even if he did come up with a plan, he would not have time to act on it.

"I see someone up ahead!" One of the guards shouted as he glanced over his shoulder to look at his co-workers. His words prompted the other guards with him to pick up their pace. As he observed the approaching guards, Jiro knew he was out of time. It would be pointless for him to try to run now. It would worsen his situation. The best thing for him to do would be to wait for them to approach. If he did that, maybe they would be more willing to hear him out? He'd find out soon enough seeing as how they were about to reach him.

"What's a middle school student doing up here?" Another guard questioned as the group of four came closer to Jiro. There was bewilderment on both her face and the original guard who spotted Jiro. However, the third guard had a sterner expression as he observed the teenager.

"Yeah, about that…" Jiro began as he was about to explain himself.

"Save it for later. I'm sure the police and our curator would just love to hear your story." The third guard stated while cutting the teenager off. As Jiro's sapphire gaze met the guard's hazel ones, he suppressed the urge to sigh. This one was obviously more cautious than his co-workers. Considering how the explosions took place only a short while ago, the guard had every right to be suspicious. After all, Jiro was the only one present in the area and unharmed at that. It would be more surprising if none of the four guards held at least a little bit of suspicion towards him.

"Don't be so harsh with him. He's only a child." The forth guard tried to argue, only for the hazel eyed guard to shake his head in disagreement.

"We don't know that for certain. Him being up here at all is way too coincidental for my liking. I'm not taking any chances by assuming things just because he looks young." Faced with this sort of the reasoning, the other guards had to admit their co-worker was right to be skeptical. "Anyways, we're wasting time standing around like this. We don't all need to escort the boy, so a couple of us should stay here and search the area. He might have accomplices who are hiding nearby."

After he finished speaking, the first guard and the sole woman of the group volunteered themselves. The hazel eyed guard grunted in acknowledgement and gestured for Jiro to follow the other two. Already dreading what may be in store for him, the fifteen-year-old began to trail after the pair of guards. With the rush of adrenaline no longer in his system, he was beginning to feel the effects of his mental fatigue. Who would've thought walking away from extremists unscathed could be so tiring? Still, as Jiro forced himself to keep up with his escorts, he was grateful they were not like their more serious natured co-worker. At least with these two, he could somewhat relax and start thinking of a plan. It didn't matter where he was being taken, he knew it would still result with him being asked questions. He needed to think about what he was going to say when giving his side of the story. He had quite the task ahead of him, since certain events would be harder to explain; namely the Navi in his PET. The Navi was not his only concern. He could feel his PET vibrating in his pocket. This usually let Jiro know he received a message from someone. However, this also occurred when the phone feature to the device was set to vibrate.

Before they entered Cubic Museum, everyone in Jiro's class switched their phone's mode to vibrate. For Jiro, the person trying to get into contact with him could not have worse timing. Since he was likely considered to be a person of interest to the guards, he doubted he could take the call. But, what really concerned the teenager was the identity of the caller. It could've easily been his parents, since word of the explosions was bound to have gotten out. There was also his friends to consider and his teacher as well. _I can't wait to get this mess over with already… Kiseki and my parents are probably going to go overboard when I tell them what happened._

Around the fourth time his PET vibrated, Jiro was tempted to take the device out of his pocket. He had no way of knowing whether it was the same person calling, or someone else. Still, the teenager hoped that whoever it was stopped for a little while at least. They were disrupting his concentration and he was going to need it.

"Alright, we're here." The male guard said while his co-worker knocked on the door to the curator's office. After a brief exchange, the trio was allowed entry into the room.

* * *

The curator's office was spacious and contained numerous pieces of furniture. Jiro's focus, however; was not on the furniture or how the room was kept neat and orderly. Instead, the teenager was more occupied with looking at the pair of officers standing beside the curator's chair. The curator himself was seated in the large chair with a neutral expression on his face. He was a man with black, medium length hair and brown eyes.

Jiro was guided to sit in one of the arm chairs in front of the curator's desk. While he was being seated, he could feel the stares of the curator and officers boring into him. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that made Jiro fight against the urge to squirm in the chair.

"My guards told me they found signs of explosions in the Millennial Sector. Care to tell us why you were standing just outside of its entrance?" The curator questioned Jiro in a composed manner and gave no indicator to his thoughts. He expected to be confronted with angry words and the curator's flaring temper. The museum director's calm composure was the last thing Jiro thought he'd encounter. "Well, young man?"

"It's kind of a long story, but I can explain…" Jiro said as he tried to calm collect himself. It took a good amount of restraint to keep his nerves somewhat under control. If he acted too nervous or stumbled over his words, he might be labeled as a suspicious person. Which was the exact opposite of what he wanted! He would have continued to speak, but his PET decided to start vibrating once again. It caught the attention of the other people in the room, and they gave him expectant looks. With reluctance, Jiro pulled the device out of his pocket and glanced at his screen. He locked eyes briefly with the Navi who was giving him a curious stare.

The teen had mixed feelings about the Navi still being there. But, Jiro didn't have the time to waste worrying about him either. For now, the Navi would have to wait and Jiro tried to convey this message with his eyes. It appeared the Navi understood the non-verbal message as he gave a small nod in reply. _I hope he gets it. I don't need him making things more complicated than they already are._ Jiro thought as his eyes glanced over to see the number calling him. It belonged to Miki-sensei, and this newfound information did not surprise Jiro. He suspected his teacher would be trying to get in contact with him. One of the reasons she was given their phone numbers was for emergencies like this. Still, it wouldn't look good on his part to ignore her phone call. Based on the number of missed calls he already had, it was probably safe to assume she was among those who tried several times to reach him. "Can I take this phone call? It's from my teacher. My class is here, so she's probably worried about where I am."

"Go ahead, after all I'd like to have a word with your teacher as well. It'll be better if she was here for this discussion." The curator nodded after exchanging glances with the pair of police officers at his side. With his permission given, Jiro tapped on the pop-up window with the phone icon. The action resulted in him being connected to the other line. He was immediately greeted with the sight of a frantic and worried Miki-sensei.

"Ichinose-kun?! Where are you?! Are you alright?!" She rapidly asked question after question without giving Jiro any chance to respond. While he could understand her panic, he still felt overwhelmed by the display. She was unlikely to calm down some unless he tried to reassure her. Honestly, Miki-sensei's more emotional moments could be hard to deal with at times…

"Sensei, I'm fine. But, I'm in a bit of a situation right now… So, can you come to the curator's office? He wants to talk to you." His words were straight to the point. He figured there was no need to act distressed or apologetic right now. Besides, if he even tried to do that, she would quickly see through him and become even more worried. In order to prevent it from happening, Jiro decided to behave as he usually did. At least this way, it would make his words seem somewhat convincing.

"What's going on? What kind of mischief have you gotten yourself into now, mister?" A frown appeared on her face as her words took on an unhappy tone.

"I'll explain when you get here." His vague reply only caused her frown to deepen as she tried to wait him out. Her attempts to get a clearer answer were wasted, as Jiro averted his eyes from the screen and refused to say anything else.

"Okay, I'll make my way over there. Just try to stay out of trouble, or at least any more of it than you're already in." With a sigh, Miki-sensei finally caved in after waiting a few more seconds. Nothing more was said as she ended the phone call and Jiro was disconnected.

 _This is going to be interesting…_ Jiro thought to himself as he waited for his teacher to arrive. Having her present would make his recollection of the previous events more believable. At the same time, he was surely going to be scolded for his reckless actions. Yet, he considered the possible lecture to be a more preferable option to anything else.

* * *

One of the police officers opened the door for Miki-sensei after she arrived to her destination. Her turquoise eyes glanced around the room, observing its occupants while she approached. The guards which brought him to the room long since made their departure. The only ones in the office now were Jiro, the curator, and the two police officers. As she looked around the room, her eyes made contact with Jiro's. He turned around in his seat in order to face her as she approached. The hologram was pleased to note that despite his worn out facial expression, the teen truly did seem to be unharmed. As she continued to make her approach, she offered him an encouraging smile. The bored stare she received in return caused her to laugh softly to herself. This typical response further convinced Miki-sensei that her student was fine.

"My apologies for having you go out of your way to come here. But, as your student has mentioned before, I wished to speak with you directly." The curator said as he greeted the hologram.

"It's quite alright. I can always make time for my students. Although, I would like to know why the both of us were brought to your office. Also, you may call me, Miki." Miki-sensei replied as she directed her attention over towards the curator. She silently took notice of the stoic looking officers standing by the man's side. This caused her some worry, as she couldn't determine whether or not their presence was related to Jiro.

"Ah, so then it's Miki-sensei, correct?" He asked and received confirmation in the form of a polite nod. The black haired man nodded in return and then cleared his throat before he began to speak. "We were about to have him explain why he was found near the source of explosions. According to the reports I've received from my guards, he was the only one at the scene."

"But, surely there is some sort of footage you could use instead?" Miki-sensei countered as she tried to make sense of what she heard. Unless the security tapes had already been reviewed, she could see no reason for Jiro to be here. However, that would mean Jiro _was_ involved with whatever caused those explosions! She certainly had a hard time believing any student of hers would be a part of something like that!

"Unfortunately, we don't have any footage to review. When the officers asked to see them, my guards reported they were missing. Or, stolen to be more precise. Which brings us to your student who seems to be the only clue we have so far." The curator said as he carefully examined the student and teacher pair in front of his desk. He watched as Miki-sensei sent a questioning look Jiro's way as she waited for him to say something.

"… I had a run in with a couple of guys who were from FutureHazard." Jiro began and everyone present in the room reacted with various degrees of surprise and skepticism. Their mixed reactions were expected, it's not every day an average person has a hostile encounter with extremists. Although, it was just as unlikely for a middle schooler on a field trip to decide to randomly blow things up. Considering the drastic nature of both possibilities, it was too soon for anyone to draw a logical conclusion. They were left with no other choice, but to continue listening to Jiro. Whether or not they believed him would be another thing entirely…


	6. RockmanEXE!

The events Jiro decided to share was an abridged and edited version of what truly happened. Nowhere in his story was there a mention of the mysterious Navi who saved him from the extremists. Instead, the teen made it appear as if his opponents retreated due to the noise created by their battle. According to him, the explosions resulted from the attacks launched by both sides as they collided with one another.

"To think they've become so bold they would attempt to make off with one of our exhibits… Although, I have a hard time believing they would find any sort of value in an old, non-functioning PET. It's all so confusing…" The curator sighed after Jiro finished speaking. The entire time the teenager spent talking, the adults were uneasy and worried. This mixture of emotions showed on their faces as they did little to conceal them. What FutureHazard attempted to do was very bold, even by their usual standards. While the group was unpredictable at best, they usually were not so quick to resort to violence against civilians. For them to be willing to potentially endanger the well-being of countless people over an exhibit was worrisome.

"We should consider ourselves lucky. If they reached the point of desperation, a lot of people could have gotten hurt. Which makes it only more concerning that Ichinose-san willingly put both himself and the museum at risk." The officer on the left side of the curator stated in a matter of fact manner; his voice closely resembling an annoyed growl. The teenager in question subtly flinched at the accusing tone in the officer's words. Certainly, Jiro had come to realize his actions were incredibly reckless. However, he was still not about to let anyone notice even the smallest sign of weakness. In the end, he felt he did the right thing despite the disaster he almost caused. Which was why he was determined to not let himself be intimidated by the officer's words. What did the officer expect him to do? Run away? Get real! Things could've ended up much worse if those guys managed to obtain the PET! He was not about to sit here and pretend to believe his actions had been a mistake!

As if sensing the teen's defiance, the same officer from before narrowed his eyes at Jiro. Sapphire eyes narrowed back in return as their owner determinedly stared back. This action was followed by Jiro crossing his arms, his body language making it perfectly clear how he felt. The officer had to fight back the urge to snap at the younger male, as he noticed his temper rise. The two men would have continued their staring contest if they were not interrupted from the activity.

"While I agree his actions were very dangerous… We can't rule out the possibility things would not have ended on a pleasant note if they did get the PET." Miki-sensei said as she glanced down at Jiro to give him a warning look. She didn't miss the way he seemed to be non-verbally challenging the police officer. Could he not even go a few minutes without trying to cause even more trouble? Annoying the police officer like he was doing would not help his case at all! How would she be able to help him if he insisted on being stubborn like this?

Her attempts to get through to him seemed to have worked; for now at least. After taking notice of the look she was giving him, Jiro broke eye contact with the officer and leaned back carelessly in the chair. She tried to get the teenager to sit properly in the seat, but her quiet requests were ignored. For reasons beyond her, Jiro simply refused to fix his posture and sit correctly in the seat. Still, between this and picking a fight with the officer, she preferred to deal with his poor sense of manners.

"You have a point, Miki-sensei. Since FutureHazard's motives are a mystery, we have no way of knowing whether his actions were necessary. Yet, I believe that is enough of us treating him as a suspect. He's proven himself to be a hero, and for that, I offer young Jiro my thanks. Even so, I trust he's learned a valuable lesson from all of this?" The polite and thankful words spoken for the curator carried a hidden message. Jiro, the intended recipient, was able to understand exactly what the curator was not saying. They were a thinly veiled warning for Jiro to make better use of his common sense. A small frown tugged on Jiro's lips as he fought against the urge to straight up scowl at the black haired man. He seriously disliked it when people hid secondary meanings to their words behind politely phrased words!

"Then, I believe we're done here?" Miki-sensei inquired as she could feel the annoyance radiating off of Jiro. The teen had done well to not snap at anyone, but that could quickly change. Especially if he reached his limit for dealing with the other three occupants of the room.

"Yes, we're finished. Also, there is no need to worry about the school being billed for damages. Since the museum was targeted by FutureHazard, the city will be the one to handle expenses not covered by the insurance policy." The police officer to the curator's right informed the student and teacher pair who waited to be dismissed. Miki-sensei nodded in acknowledgement and expressed her thanks to both of the officers and the curator. The field trip turned out to be more of an ordeal than she could have ever anticipated. Now, with this latest issue taken care of, she could return to the rest of her class. She called out to Jiro who rose from his seat and followed his teacher out of office after she opened the door.

* * *

"Ichinose-kun, I can't tell you enough on how glad I am to see that you're okay." The hologram began as she led the way through the building with Jiro trailing closely behind. Normally, he would have given some form of response, however; he chose not to as he picked up on the clue she had more to say. "Although, you did give me and your classmates quite the scare today. No one could get in contact with you or knew where you went…"

"I wasn't exactly in the position to be taking phone calls at the time. The guards were bringing me to the curator's office, and I didn't want to take chances. So, that's why I wasn't able to answer my phone." He said as he replied to his teacher with her back still turned towards him. Miki-sensei knew him well enough to understand that the teenager was most likely shrugging while he spoke. It was hard to tell if this was some sort of indirect apology, so she decided to believe it was one. At least it was no longer a mystery on why he was unable to immediately answer his phone.

"Well… You did what you could. But, it still doesn't excuse the fact that you were reckless today! I've warned you over and over to not provoke other people! Yet, you felt the need to argue with strangers who you saw were aggressive!" The sudden anger she spoke to him with caught Jiro off guard. It was obvious that she would be upset with him for putting himself in that sort of danger. But, when she did verbalize her irritation, the teen had not been prepared for it. As she glanced over her shoulder, she gave the teen a stern, reprimanding look. Jiro felt his left hand clench as it balled into a fist in reaction to her scolding. He was aware Miki-sensei was acting out some sort of teacher-like concern for him. But, there was only so much lecturing, scolding, and worrying he was willing to endure! However, he would only receive more of it if he continued to remain in her presence. In order to get away from his teacher's nagging, a change of scenery was needed.

"Sensei, is there a restroom near here?" Startled out of her train of thought by the unexpected question, turquoise eyes blinked in confusion at the teenager. It took a moment for his question to register. When it did, she had to resist the urge to sigh. The signs of him becoming annoyed with this conversation were obvious to her. She really wanted her words to get through to Jiro. But, there was no way for her to accomplish that if Jiro tuned her out. Something he was close to doing, if he wasn't already.

"There's one down the hall over towards our right." She replied and watched as Jiro nodded in acknowledgement before walking off. The teenager's stride was purposeful as he made his way towards his destination. What was unknown to Miki-sensei was the fact she was half-right about why Jiro wanted to get away. The thing she didn't know was that the teenager also planned to use the opportunity to sort out unfinished business. If things went according to plan, then hopefully not much time would be wasted.

* * *

"You're still there, right?" Although phrased as a question, there was an expectant almost demanding undertone to Jiro's words. The teen had entered the bathroom and immediately pulled out his PET. The Navi was not visible on his screen and this caused Jiro to feel alarmed. He _did not_ make an excuse to get away from his teacher only to learn the Navi escaped!

"…Yeah, I'm right here." A drowsy sounding voice replied to him as the Navi reappeared on screen. The blue-clad figure yawned and then proceeded to stretch himself out in order to wake up.

"Good. We need to talk, so you better wake up and listen carefully." Jiro's tone was firm as he was strictly in business mode now. Time was limited as there was only so much of it he could spend in the restroom like this. Otherwise, his teacher was bound to start asking questions once he left.

"Uh, ok... What's up?" The Navi asked as he waited for Jiro to say something in response. He expected the teenager to return to their conversation at a later point in time. So, for this to happen now was a little sudden. But, he was not about to complain.

"First off, I'm going to need to lay down some ground rules. I can't have you poking your nose anywhere you want inside my PET. So, the number one rule is that you're to respect my privacy. If I say I don't want you touching something, then you leave it alone, end of story. Same goes for questions. If I don't want to answer them, then I won't. Got it?" A dangerous tone entered Jiro's voice as his sapphire eyes bored into the Navi's green ones. He didn't care if he was coming off as disrespectful towards the one who saved him. As far as he was concerned, the two of them were strangers brought together out of necessity. Jiro needed help with getting out of his predicament, and the Navi seemed to be clueless about pretty much everything. Otherwise, he couldn't see a reason for the Navi to have stuck with him once the fight was over. _If he's going to be sticking with me, then I need to make it clear where we stand._

"Sure, I can do that... But, before you go any further, can you tell me your name? It'll be easier to get through this if we knew each other's names, right?"

"I don't see how it matters. It's not like we'll be working together for long. This is a temporary arrangement at best since it looks like I can't remove you from my PET... For now, at least."

"It does matter! Not knowing the other's name will just make it hard to get along and work together. Besides, if you feel like it doesn't matter then it's not that big of a deal, is it?"

"…It's Jiro. Jiro Ichinose. Are you happy now?" _Geez, why was he getting all worked up over a name?_ The teenager thought as he questioned why the Navi was insistent about learning his name. While not as disinterested in learning the Navi's name as he pretended to be, Jiro still did not care for doing introductions. Seconds after he gave his name, the teen found himself raising an eyebrow in response to the grin the Navi sent him. _…Weirdo._

"Nice to meet you, Jiro-kun! I'm Rockman!" The Navi stated cheerfully, as he either didn't notice or ignored the incredulous look Jiro was giving him. "Let's do our best to get along!" Rockman continued to talk. The teenager could feel his exhaustion return. Five seconds barely passed, and already Jiro was beginning to suspect that Rockman was going to be a handful.


End file.
